Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Annunciation (1898)
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Luke 1:46–55
From the KJV to "SHAZAM!"
There are two ancient words that are so very cool
In this outburst from Mary—in English, old school:
"He hath holpen his servant" still brings me great joy,
As I wonder at how, over cent'ries, this boy
To be born to this Mary has filled with such awe
All our lives, despite failures, and foibles, and flaws.
Into violence, and cruelty and anger he comes,
While his mother belts out how the Lord won't succumb
To the ways we devise to pretend we don't need
Any help he might give, with a pow'r that exceeds
All the lies and pronouncements that keep the low, small,
For the love of this child soon will reign over all.
Shazam!
Scott L. Barton
(The last word in the poem is what Gladys Herdman cries out in Barbara Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever [Avon Books, 1972] when, in preparation for the annual pageant, she first hears about the angels coming to the shepherds.)
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden:
for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him
from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their
hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham,
and to his seed for ever.
(KJV)
+ + +
Luke 1:26–38 (see also 2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16)
How???
How can this be? How can this be?
There's nothing I can possibly see
To prove that to this world might come
Some hope, when we are surely undone
By all the darkness, grief and pain
Which at this time assuredly reign.
What's this you say? What's this you say?
You've something even more to convey?
O my! This news you now declare
Is that through me there will come to bear
The saving grace that people need,
A rule of love to come now, indeed?
Thus, as her forebears, Mary learned
The thing we want, for which we most yearn,
Comes not because we make it so;
Such "wisdom" we're now called to forego,
Embracing, rather, gifts, amazed,
Since obstacles leave God—still—unfazed.
Scott L. Barton
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
+ + +
Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.”
But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
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